Lawsuit filed against Cherokee bear zoo

Plaintiffs claim keeping grizzlies in pits illegal

9:13 PM,
Dec. 3, 2013

A bear look to be fed at the Cherokee Bear Zoo in 2011.

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Two tribal elders in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday aimed at shutting down a bear zoo they claim is abusive and cruel to endangered grizzly bears.

Amy Walker and Peggy Hill filed the suit against Cherokee Bear Zoo in U.S. District Court in Bryson City. The two contend the roadside zoo's practice of keeping grizzlies in concrete pits violates the Endangered Species Act's prohibition on harming protected animals.